annual report to the community 2018–2019 … to protect the land forever 1 Dear Friends: Dear Members and Supporters: The past year has been one of When I first visited Sonoma significant accomplishment for County, I immediately fell in love Sonoma Land Trust. As you’ll read with its breathtaking landscapes here, we delivered on advancing and rugged coastlines. Now, 25 our vision and objectives. It’s also years later, joining Sonoma Land been a year of inspiration and Trust feels like a homecoming! strategic change as we prepared for the beginning of a new chapter. I’ve been overwhelmed by the warm welcome extended to me by the community and inspired by It was just about a year ago that we announced that its sense of place. I’m also deeply grateful for Dave Dave Koehler, our former executive director, would Koehler’s wise and thoughtful stewardship of the be retiring. I’m delighted to report that the executive Land Trust. search led us to inviting Eamon O’Byrne to assume that leadership role and he joined us on September 9. As I take the helm, I’m profoundly aware of the daunting challenges Sonoma County faces in a rapidly The executive search was an energizing time of changing climate. But thanks to an extraordinary discovery and planning that led to deepening our body of work accomplished by Sonoma Land Trust understanding of how Sonoma Land Trust’s opera- over the last four decades, we are strongly positioned tions have evolved in recent years. We have grown to harness the power of nature to make our county a and matured into a high-achieving organization with stronghold of climate adaptation and resilience. a culture of shared conservation values among our board and staff. We are laser focused on measuring Under the visionary leadership of our board, and our impact against our strategic objectives and, with the deep expertise of staff, we’ve already during Dave’s tenure, we deepened our mission by embarked on this vital work through our Baylands providing programs that expand the benefits of restoration initiatives, and our wildfire collaboration land conservation to more communities throughout and efforts to build out the wildlife corridor in the the county. Sonoma Valley. With your help and support, we hope to accelerate this work to protect and Eamon brings his many years of conservation experi- strengthen the natural and human communities of ence to a strong team at Sonoma Land Trust. He is the county. ready to lead us in the vital work ahead with a focus on achieving climate resilience and continuing to I’m looking forward to getting out on the land and broaden our reach. Welcome, Eamon! meeting you in person! For the land and our community, Eamon O’Byrne, Executive Director Allison Sanford, Chair, Board of Directors annual report to the community 2018–2019 Annual Report to the Community 2018–2019 As we reflect on the past year, it’s inspiring how much we have all accomplished together. Thanks to our devoted community of conservation supporters, who understand the value of protecting land, standing up for it and broaden- ing the tent so that all may benefit from the work we do, this was truly a banner year. We counted five acquisitions, a precedent-setting legal triumph, several major funding achievements, and considerable progress in reaching out to new and underserved segments of our community. At the same time, we prepared for an executive transition and a large, upcoming acquisition that touches on all of our conservation goals. So it is perhaps no surprise that your land trust has also had our accreditation renewed and received a prestigious national award! We hope you take pride in being part of our important work. Left: McCormick Ranch. Photo by Shawn-Paul Luchin. Front cover: View of the Petaluma River from Tolay Lake Regional Park. Photo by Ashley Wiekert. 3 McCormick Ranch, here we come! We are under contract to purchase McCormick Ranch — the stunning 650-acre property in the Mayacamas! We couldn’t be more delighted to be working with rancher Jim Perry and his family, who have agreed to a discounted conservation sale because this property is so close to their hearts, having been in their family for 175 years. Nonethe- less, the Land Trust still needs to raise $2.5 million of the $14.5 million purchase price by the end of 2020 to make this deal a reality. Spanning the ridge between Napa and Sonoma Counties, McCormick Ranch is adjacent to Sugar- loaf Ridge State Park and will be added to more than 7,800 acres of already protected land. It boasts Sunset from McCormick Ranch. Photo by Corby Hines. spectacular views, steep canyons, riparian forests and habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including wide-ranging carnivores, like black bear and cougar. Upon acquisition, Sonoma Land Trust will donate the James Perry property to expand Hood Mountain Regional Park. Landowner, MCCormick Ranch Sonoma Land Trust chooses which properties it McCormick Ranch has wanted to preserve it for future generations,” protects based on several ecological factors — and a long history as a he says. “There are so many reasons to protect McCormick Ranch has them all. It borders other family ranch — five McCormick Ranch. To start, it has an amazing protected lands, possesses the headwaters of three generations long. Jim history — the stories of each generation’s love creeks that provide habitat for steelhead trout and Perry, the current of land, and the willpower and hard work to keep coho salmon, is part of the vast Blue Ridge/Berryessa landowner, was the ranch viable with all its challenges is incredi- to Marin wildlife linkage and offers outstanding motivated to conserve ble. Second, the beauty — including views to six recreational opportunities, including a new segment this land to honor his counties from Big Hill. Third, the ecological of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Protecting and steward- late wife, Sandra, and his mother-in-law, Babe, place where McCormick sits, surrounded by ing large, intact landscapes like this one is a key who came from a long line of strong women that 8,000 acres of park and protected land, adding strategy for improving climate resiliency — for us worked the ranch and loved it dearly. land to vital wildlife corridors. Finally, McCormick and other species. will provide the public with an incredible “We knew how much they loved this land and we outdoor experience.” We hope you’ll join in supporting this highly sought-after acquisition. annual report to the community 2018–2019 Saying good-bye After nearly five years, Dave Koehler retired as our executive director in early September. Key to his success here was building a culture of collaborative leadership based on a shared vision among the staff to Dave and board that land is the heart of the community. That, combined with his nearly 30 years of experience as a land trust executive director, led to these significant accomplishments under his leadership: > Openingthe Sea to Sky Trail, the Land Trust’s first > Workingto address impacts from the 2017 public trail, which connects the Jenner Headlands Sonoma Complex Fires, as well as building new to Pole Mountain; partnerships to address wildfire protection in Sonoma County; > Focusingland protection initiatives on the Russian River and its watershed; > Protectingsix properties totaling nearly 2,500 acres, and adding 10,000 acres and more than 10 > Breachingthe levee at Sears Point to restore properties to the Land Trust’s active protection 1,000 acres of tidal marsh and adding a 2.5-mile pipeline; and extension to the Bay Trail; > Takingleadership roles in securing the passage of > Creatinga Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan for local Measure M, Bay Area-wide Measure AA and the organization; statewide Proposition 68. > Creatinga community programs department focused on engaging more people in the Land Trust’s work; Themany initiatives Dave put in place will serve > Defendingthe Drake Family Conservation our county well for generations. Please join us in Dave Koehler. Photo Michael by Woolsey. Easement and securing a successful court ruling; wishing him the best in his future pursuits. reta lockert tony nelson We value tenure Donor Relations Director (37 years) Sonoma Valley Program Manager (12 years) wendy eliot sheri cardo Hiring well and retaining our first-rate staff is a Conservation Director (20 years) Director of Communications (11 years) major focus of Sonoma Land Trust and we’d like bob neale julian meisler Stewardship Director (15 years) Baylands Program Manager (10 years) to recognize our employees who have been shanti edwards with us for 10 years or more. Stewardship Senior Project Manager (15 years) 5 More land saved forever … We protected five exceptional properties this year Sunsrays Conservation Easement: Bear Canyon Wildlands Preserve: scenic southern Sonoma Mountain. The property’s A 60-acre property in the Mark West watershed Two hundred fifty acres of rugged, largely untouched significant habitat, which also connects to Tolay Lake owned by longtime Land Trust supporters Ray wild land in the foothills of the Mayacamas north- Regional Park, allows for wildlife passage between Krauss and Barbara Shumsky. Located in the east of Healdsburg. Donated by Dick and Gretchen Sonoma Mountain and the Baylands foothills of the Mayacamas, Sunsrays is rich in Grant in memory of their friend and our former biodiversity and springs that provide year-round board member Mary Hafner, this property forms an Weeks Ranch North Conservation Easement water flow to Mark West Creek, a priority stream for important link between the Land Trust’s Bear (assisted with purchase): Sonoma Land Trust the recovery of endangered coho salmon.